Polymer-based composites may be selected for use in fabricating aircraft structures because of their favorable strength-to-weight ratio. Current designs for aircraft fuselage may employ a number of composite components, including sandwich panels, frames and stiffeners, to name only a few. The assembly of these composite components during the fabrication process may be time consuming and labor intensive, consequently, it is desirable to integrate these components where possible, in order to reduce assembly time and/or labor as well as aircraft weight.
Assembly time/labor as well as aircraft weight may also be reduced by simplifying onboard aircraft subsystems such as environmental control systems (ECS), electrical wiring and communication systems. The problem of reducing the number of composite structural components and simplifying onboard subsystems is complicated by the fact that larger commercial and military aircraft fuselages are fabricated in sections that must be joined together during the production process.
Accordingly, there is a need for a composite aircraft fuselage having a reduced number of components requiring assembly while integrating at least portions of aircraft subsystems in order to reduce costs and aircraft weight. There is also a need for a method of fabricating a composite aircraft fuselage which allows integration of subsystems during assembly of the fuselage sections while increasing production rates.